My Angel
by Tina101
Summary: Emmett and Rosalie's relationship is the stuff of legends. She saved him an early death, and they fell madly in love, but how did they get there? This is my take on Emmett and Rosalie's relationship from the first time they met to their first wedding.
1. Chapter 1

_My Angel_

**Chapter 1:**

Rosalie stared at the book in her lap. She could hear the ever annoying sound of Edward struggling to write a song on the piano. She wished that he would just stop and wait until she was out hunting or something to become the next Mozart. Sighing, she snapped the book closed. Why anyone would like to read such a boring thing was completely beyond her; they were so boring and dull, so it only made sense that Edward was completely infatuated with them. With a flip of her platinum hair, Rosalie gracefully rose to her feet.

"Going hunting!" she called carelessly over her shoulder, hoping that no one would really care that she was going out. Up until about five months ago she would constantly have to have a babysitter with her to make sure that she kept to their annoying "vegetarian" diet.

"Oh, I'll come with you," Esme commented as she came out of Carlisle's office.

"I don't need a babysitter," Rosalie defended firmly.

"I have to go hunting too, its fine. Come on, let's go." She ushered the younger girl out the backdoor, and they began to run.

Rosalie was surprised to find that Esme was keeping up with her as they sped through the forest, dodging trees and debris. They came to a stop alongside a creek.

"Rosalie," Esme said as she put a gentle hand on her "daughter's" shoulder. Rosalie turned around. "I was hoping that we would be able to talk."

"About what?" Shrugging, Esme took a seat on the bank of the creek and motioned for the younger girl to follow in suit.

"I guess I just wanted to talk without Edward brooding and picking our brains, and Carlisle wandering in and out of the room." Rosalie nodded. She knew how that felt. Edward seemed to like to read her mind and make comments on it whenever possible.

"Alright…" She couldn't for the life of her figure out where Esme was going with this.

"You're two year 'birthday' so to speak is today." Rosalie was captivated with a twig being carried by the current downstream. "Happy birthday, Rosalie."

"What's so happy about it?" she demanded rudely, looking up. "I'm a monster, and today only marks that I've been like this for two whole years! I, I should be married right now, I should have someone special in my life!"

"Well what about Edward?"

"Edward?" Rosalie repeated with a scowl followed by a small, pathetic laugh. "You've got to be joking. He's always on that piano or has his nose in a book, and even when he's not being the perfect son, he's always so depressed! I'm sorry, Esme, I know that you and Carlisle want us to be together, but that's just not going to happen." It was rather blunt, but it was the truth. Esme sighed, and Rosalie was now furious that she had been dragged all the way out here to talk about Edward.

"That's fine," Esme said with a small, forced smile. It was obvious that she was rather upset with Rosalie's little outburst, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Rosalie wasn't surprised to find Edward still plunking out keys on that precious piano of his when she and Esme returned from hunting. Rosalie stalked up the stairs to her bedroom and closed the door firmly behind her. Esme found Carlisle still pouring over paperwork from the hospital. As soon as he heard the door open, he put his pen down and shoved his work to the side.

"How did it go?" he asked as he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her down onto his vacant lap. Esme snaked her arms around his neck and rested her cheek against his shoulder.

"It was a disaster. She made it _very_ clear that she doesn't like being a vampire and has absolutely no feelings for Edward. I couldn't really talk to her about anything else; she wasn't particularly social after that."

"That's understandable. Maybe they were just meant to be alone," Carlisle commented. "I'm not going to push anything between them, if they just want to be friends, then that's fine with me." Esme nodded in agreement as she closed her eyes. She felt completely at ease and safe in Carlisle's arms.

Upstairs, Rosalie was absolutely fuming. How _dare_ Esme put herself in her life like that! She didn't want to be with Edward. Sometimes it was torture to just be in the same house as him, she couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be in a relationship with him. Letting out a frustrated groan she certainly hoped Esme and Carlisle heard, Rosalie flopped down on the couch and buried her face in the pillow. In all honesty, she didn't want to be alone, but there was no way she wanted to be "mate" with Edward, not if he was the last being left on the planet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Emmett McCarthy shouldered his rifle and wandered aimlessly through the woods. Hunting had been a _big_ mistake; there was hardly any game out. Sighing, he decided to call it a day and head back home. Maybe if he got up earlier tomorrow and headed out he'd be a little luckier. There was no way to tell though. He'd admit though, the one thing he liked about going out to hunt was the silence. It was so loud back at home that even a few hours of silence in the woods was gladly welcomed.

A twig snapped, catching Emmett's attention. In a flash, he spun around with his rifle cocked and ready. It was a bear, perfect to kill and bring home. Sure bear meat wasn't the best, but it was better than nothing. Emmett made sure to take careful aim, directly between the eyes, and fired. The deafening shot rang out, followed by a roar, and the bear fell. Emmett dropped his gun and ran over to make sure that it was dead. He leaned over to take a look. Without warning, the bear, sprang up and took a swipe at him. He wasn't fast enough to get away, and the bear knocked him to his feet. The bear swiped at him, slicing open his chest.

"Help!" Emmett screamed, but he knew that it was a lost cause. There wasn't anyone anywhere near where he was.

All of a sudden, the bear disappeared. Emmett tried to breath, but each breath he took was a raspy gasp, not a real breath. There was a pathetic roar from the bear followed by a thud. Emmett's eyes began to slip closed.

Rosalie drained the blood from the bear and tossed the lifeless carcass to the side. She then spun around and looked at the body laying a few yards away. The smell of blood was beyond tempting. She rushed over, not sure as to what she wanted to do next. She tenderly wiped a smudge of dirt off of his forehead. He certainly was handsome looking. He was still alive; she could hear his heart beating. It was a faint and weak sound, but it was still there. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

"You're an angel," he whispered before slipping away once again. Rosalie knew that she should change him, he was perfect to be with her, but she didn't know if she had it in her to simply bite him without killing him. She knew that once she tasted that crimson blood she wouldn't be able to stop. The only person who she knew for a fact would be able to change this handsome young man was Carlisle. She scooped the stranger up in her arms and began to run home, all the while holding her breath and not looking at the blood staining her shirt.

Carlisle and Esme were curled up on the couch together when the pungent scent of human blood wafted through the open window. In a flash, they were both on their feet. There was a feeling deep down inside that Rosalie had lapsed on their vegetarian diet, and now they would have to take care of it.

"Carlisle!" Rosalie cried as she came bursting through the back door with an unfamiliar young man in her arms. It was obvious that the blood was his. "Do something about it, please." It was the first time in two years that Rosalie had shown any kind of remorse, or even said the word 'please' for that matter. Carlisle knew exactly what she meant by 'do something about it' without her really saying so.

"Put him on the couch," he directed firmly. Esme seemed to be rooted to the floor, almost afraid to move. "Esme, why don't you go upstairs with Edward?" His voice softened to show that he was concerned for her well being. Esme nodded mutely before rushing upstairs and away from the blood.

"Please hurry, he's dying!" Carlisle didn't need telling twice.

"Are you sure you want this? You know what this young man's about to go through." He wanted to be absolutely certain that Rosalie wanted this transformation to take place.

"Yes! Now hurry! I knew I wouldn't be able to do it on my own, so please do it before it's too late!" He nodded before leaning over and sliding his teeth into the throbbing artery in the man's neck. He let out a scream, and Rosalie knew that the venom had begun to spread.

Carlisle got to his feet and carefully wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, removing any traces of human blood that were left. Rosalie didn't know what she was supposed to do now, so she simply rushed forward to the stranger's side and took his hand in her own.

"How long will it take?" she asked Carlisle. He was caught off guard by the compassion in her usually cold and hate-filled eyes.

"A few days. There's no way to tell." She nodded almost disappointedly and turned her attention back to the gentleman on the couch. Carlisle took that as his cue to leave and went upstairs.

Edward was waiting for Carlisle at the top of the stairs, and it was obvious that he was less than thrilled with his father's decision.

"Esme told me what happened," he said with contempt in his voice. Nodding, Carlisle went to go find Esme and see if she was alright. "Why didn't you ask me?"

"I don't answer to you, Edward," he gently reminded Edward.

"No, but it would have been nice to know. You promised me that you were done changing people." Carlisle spun around to look at Edward.

"If you would have seen the compassion and worry in Rosalie's eyes you would have done the same thing." Edward scoffed.

"Don't be ridiculous, this _is_ Rosalie we're talking about here." Without another word, the younger vampire disappeared into the safety of his bedroom where he could escape Carlisle's concerned gaze and thoughts on the vampire forming downstairs.

Never before in his entire life had Emmett experienced so much pain in his entire life. It felt as if his entire body was on fire from the inside out. Although he strongly believed in sucking up the pain and simply dealing with it, he couldn't help cry out. He felt a gentle hand take his and stroke his cheek lovingly.

"I'm so sorry," a distant female voice said. He turned toward the voice and opened his eyes. It was his angel from earlier.

Rosalie saw him open his eyes slightly. She knew that he would be able to hear him and decided to talk to him. She cupped his cheek with her slender hand and stroked it with her thumb.

"My name is Rosalie Hale, and right now you're being transformed into a vampire," she explained. It was going to be a very one-sided conversation, and she knew that, but she wanted to provide him some sort of comfort through this pain. "I'm sorry for the pain, I really am. I swore that I'd never be the cause of someone living this lifestyle, but it was the only way to save your life. Carlisle said that this should be over in a few days, but it's going to feel like a lifetime. After that, things won't exactly be easy for you for a while, but we'll be here to help you." Rosalie stopped and suddenly felt so foolish for talking to this stranger like that. He wouldn't be able to remember anything she said, making it completely useless.

Emmett completely lost track of time. All he could cling to was the voice of his beloved angel. Whenever he managed to open his eyes, he saw her sitting dutifully by his side as if waiting for him.

The pain began to subside. Emmett couldn't tell how long it had been, but he knew that it had been a while, and his angel was still by his side. The fire first started to creep away from his extremities, his fingers and toes, and quickly spread throughout the rest of his body.

Rosalie could hear his heart beat slowing down. Soon it would stop completely, and he would be a vampire…just like her.

"He should be done soon," Carlisle said from behind her. She looked over her shoulder. "Do you want me to talk to him or do you want to?"

"How about both of us?"

"That's fine." He took a seat in the wing-backed chair in the far corner of the room next to the fireplace and simply waited. It was only a matter of time.

Finally, the pain was gone. Emmett felt…different. When he opened his eyes, it felt as if everything had exploded in such detail. Right in front of him was his angel, looking even more stunning than he remembered. What in the world had just happened?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

"How are you feeling?" a beautiful voice that sounded like chimes asked. The second Emmett thought about sitting up, he was. Carlisle put down the large medical book in his lap and approached the couple, ready to once again explain what was going on. Mentally, he called Edward to come down from his bedroom in case things went south.

"Thirsty. What happened?" Rosalie took a seat on the couch next to him.

"How about we start with introductions?" Carlisle suggested as he sat down on the chair across from the couch. "That might make things a little more comfortable." Emmett nodded, that seemed reasonable. "My name is Carlisle Cullen, and this is Rosalie Hale." Rosalie, his angel's name was Rosalie.

"My name's Emmett McCarthy." Carlisle nodded. "Are you an angel?" Emmett blurted out without thinking. Carlisle cracked a small smile, and Rosalie appeared to be slightly caught off guard and yet thrilled at the same time.

"No, I'm, uh, we're vampires," she replied very carefully. "And so are you now." Emmett got to his feet and began to pace.

"So, I'm a vampire, like sleeping in coffins and turning into bats and all that?" Carlisle and Rosalie couldn't help but laugh at that.

"No, those are all common misconceptions," he explained. "We don't sleep and turning into bats is out of the question." Emmett looked slightly disappointed about not being able to turn into a bat.

"Well, it can't be that bad if my angel's a vampire," he finally reasoned. Rosalie looked slightly taken back by his bluntness. Edward let out a snort.

"Shut up," she hissed in his direction. Shaking his head, Edward retreated to his bedroom and away from this madness.

For the first time, Rosalie wished that she was Edward so she could read Emmett's mind and see how he really felt about being a vampire. He couldn't be fine with it simply because she was a vampire! Nothing made sense anymore. Even as they ran through the forest, she could feel his gaze on her. Edward was a few yards behind them, which only pissed Rosalie off. She didn't need a babysitter, but Carlisle and Esme had insisted since Emmett was a newborn. Even for being a newborn, Emmett exemplified more strength than was normal for a vampire, at least according to Carlisle. They came to a stop near a herd of deer.

"Now what?" Emmett asked, unsure of himself.

"Just follow your instincts," Rosalie reassured before taking off into the meadow where the deer were grazing. Emmett and Edward quickly followed in suit. They each pounced on the biggest deer they could find, instantly taking it down. Rosalie sank her teeth into the soft flesh and allowed the warm liquid to pour into her mouth. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Emmett seemed to be holding his own. He quickly drained the large buck and stood up.

"Can we get some more?" he asked. Edward couldn't help but smile ever so slightly at his bluntness, but it was better than him breaking their diet and killing a human. It was inevitable, but they were trying to put it off for as long as possible.

Meanwhile, Carlisle and Esme were back at home talking. They had gone out hunting the night before and didn't need to go again.

"I've never seen Rosalie act so compassionate towards anyone before," Carlisle commented. Esme sat on the couch next to him and curled up in his arms.

"Maybe Emmett is the one," she pointed out. Carlisle kissed the top of her head softly.

"You're such a hopeless romantic. They barely know each other." She shrugged. "You never know. I knew the moment I saw you that there was something special about you. I'm happy for Rosalie, even if they just end up being friends. It gives both Edward and Rosalie someone else to talk to besides bickering amongst themselves." He had to agree with her there. The constant bickering between Rosalie and Edward certainly was getting old, and the thought of an end to the bickering was welcomed by both Carlisle and Esme.

An hour after leaving, the three Cullen children returned from hunting. Emmett's eyes were still red, and they would be for a while to come.

"How was hunting?" Carlisle asked. Esme was far too comfortable to move, and both Edward and Rosalie were used to their public displays of affection.

"Good, he's getting used to it," Edward replied as he took a seat at his precious piano. Rosalie sat down daintily in the chair across from Carlisle and Esme and brushed her hair over her shoulder.

"Are we going to have to move to Denali?" she asked.

"What's Denali?" Emmett asked. There wasn't any other space for him to sit, so he sat on the floor at Rosalie's feet.

"There's a coven like us in Denali, Alaska that we sometimes go and visit. Esme and I haven't decided if we are yet. We want to see how things go here first," Carlisle replied. Rosalie didn't particularly feel like moving again, but at the same time she wanted to see her friends in Alaska.

"We might go on a trip this summer if we don't move there, so we'll see them regardless." Rosalie liked the sound of that, but Edward seemed less than thrilled. Emmett was excited to meet some more vampires, for some reason the thought of meeting new vampires was very exciting to him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

The house was oddly quiet. Esme stopped dusting Carlisle's office. Emmett was supposed to be around here somewhere. Last she saw of him he had been in the living room listening to the radio. The gentle hum of the radio was gone, and Esme realized that she was alone. She swore to both Carlisle and Edward that the two of them would be fine today while the rest of the Cullens were at school and work, but it was now obvious that they weren't.

"Emmett?" she called as she wandered out of the office and into the empty living room. "Emmett!?" There was obvious panic in her voice. Esme couldn't figure out how in world he left without her hearing. She knew what he was doing, and it wasn't going to end well.

Emmett sped through the woods. He could smell the wild animals all around, but there was another, more tantalizing, smell that he was following. At last he saw it, a lone hunter, just like he had been a few weeks earlier, completely oblivious to what was about to happen. Without warning, Emmett leapt up into the air and landed on top of the unsuspecting hunter, instantly taking him down. The poor hunter didn't even have a chance to scream before Emmett sank his fangs into his soft flesh. The thick, warm liquid was far better than any animal he had hunted since his transformation. Now he could see why a vampire would prefer this to being a 'vegetarian.'

When Edward and Rosalie got home from school, Emmett was still missing and Esme was near hysterics.

"What's wrong?" Rosalie asked as she dropped her book bag on the chair next to the front door.

"Emmett's gone. I turned my back for maybe three minutes, and he disappeared. He was doing so well and now he's gone," Esme replied. She nervously played with her hands, trying to keep herself calm.

"It was inevitable, no vampire except Carlisle and Rosalie has a perfect track record," Edward explained, trying to keep his mother calm.

The back door opened and closed, drawing the three vampires' attention. Rosalie spun around to see an ashamed looking Emmett trudge into the room. His eyes were crimson red, a sign that he had human blood in his system.

"Emmett," Rosalie said as she reached out to put a gentle hand on his arm. He shrugged her off and retreated to the safety of his bedroom upstairs. She turned to Esme to see what to do. Consoling people wasn't exactly her forte.

"Go talk to him," Esme urged. Rosalie rushed up the stairs after Emmett.

"This should be interesting," Edward commented as he shouldered his bag and went to the kitchen to do his homework. Esme shot him a scolding look before going back to her daily cleaning routine.

Rosalie knocked lightly on Emmett's door, afraid as to what she would find on the other side. When she didn't get any response, she carefully opened the door. She found Emmett lying on his bed with his arm draped over her eyes.

"Emmett?" she asked as she sat on the bed next to his legs. He didn't budge. "It's alright, it's perfectly normal to have a minor lapse." He moved his arm and sat up slightly.

"I knew what I was doing, and I didn't care," he explained. "It was almost as if I could hear your voice in the back of my mind telling me to stop."

"My voice?" Rosalie repeated, clearly shocked. "Why my voice?" Emmett sat up all the way.

"I don't know," he replied. "But I promise you that I'll do better next time." She reached out and squeezed his hand.

"You know, the only vampires to ever not taste human blood are me and Carlisle, and no one can figure out how we've done that," she explained. "Even Esme's killed people. It's in our nature, and we're the ones going against it. I want you to know that I'm not mad at you, I understand what you've done and why."

"Does the craving ever go away?"

"Eventually you learn to ignore it. I'm still getting used to everything as well." This seemed to catch Emmett off guard. The way Rosalie spoke, he had been so certain that she had been a vampire for years.

"How long have you been a vampire?"

"Just over two years. Carlisle knows a lot more about being a vampire than I do though. He's been around longer than any of us, since the Italian Renaissance." Emmett shook his head.

"No, I'd much rather talk to you." Rosalie knew that if she could blush at that very moment, her face would be bright red. She'd much rather talk to Emmett right now than study or do anything else too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Emmett was on the verge of going absolutely insane. He knew for a fact that if he spent any more time in this house he'd snap. Sure he got to go out to hunt, but that was about it. He knew that he would be able to handle one night out in the town…with Rosalie of course. What he dreaded was the thought of Edward coming with them to make sure that he didn't do anything stupid.

Emmett decided that his best bet would be to talk to Rosalie. She wasn't in her bedroom or the living room or outside, so he decided to try the garage. The Cullens' new toy, a car, was completely fascinating to her for some reason.

"Rosalie?" he asked as he opened the door leading out to the garage. Sure enough, she had her hair carefully tied back into a bun on the base of her neck to stay out of her way as she disappeared under the hood of the contraption. The sound of Emmett's voice, however, caused her to appear with oil smeared across her cheek.

"Yes?" Emmett shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the next. First he'd see what kind of mood she was in before going any further.

"I just wanted to see what you're up to," he replied.

"Oh." Rosalie looked disappointed that that was all. "I'm trying to fix the car so Carlisle can drive to work on Monday," she replied before resuming her previous position, but only for a split second. "Do you think you could do me a favor?" Emmett's eyes lit up.

"Sure."

"I need to get under the car, but I can't fit. Do you think you could hold it up? It shouldn't take long."

"Of course." She looked relieved. Emmett sat down next to the car and propped it up with ease with one arm. Rosalie carefully slid under the machine and began to work. "Rosalie, I was wondering if it would be possible to go into town for a few hours tonight, just me and you. I really feel that I'm ready, but I don't know how to ask Carlisle and Esme." He was babbling and he knew it, but that didn't matter to him. Rosalie slid out from under the car and smiled up at Emmett.

"I'm sure I can convince them. The real hard part will be getting Edward to stay behind," she replied with a twinkle in her eyes. She had a feeling that Emmett wanted to go with her to town for another reason besides simply getting out of the house, but she wasn't about to comment on it. Emmett sighed. He liked Edward, he really did, but he wanted to spend time with just Rosalie.

"Maybe Esme and Carlisle would be able to convince him to stay." She nodded thoughtfully, it was a simply yet effective plan.

Rosalie realized that Emmett was still holding up the car. She lay back down on her back and slid under the machine once again.

"So why exactly does Carlisle need one of these things? Can't he just run to work and back every day?" he asked, slightly confused.

"He has to keep up the appearance of a human doctor," Rosalie replied from under the machine. "Plus, it's a nice luxury to have."

"Oh." He paused. "Back…before all this happened, my family didn't have a car. We could barely afford to put food on the table, let alone own one of these. That's why I was out hunting that day, for food for my family." Rosalie finished what she was doing and reappeared.

"You can put it down now," she told him softly. She'd never personally known someone who had been so poor that they couldn't even afford to eat, even after the Stock Market crashed. She'd always been a socialite, and once she became a vampire she learned how much money adds up when you don't have to buy food and you live forever. She wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing and gracefully got to her feet. Emmett quickly followed in suit. "I'll talk to Carlisle now.

Carlisle was, once again, in his study reading a book when there was a light knock on his door. He put his book down and bid his visitor to come in. He was surprised to find Rosalie standing nervously in his doorway.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked as she closed the door.

"Of course, you know you don't have to ask," Carlisle replied. She went over and sat in the chair across his desk from him. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if Emmett and I could go into town for the evening." She saw his face fall slightly at the request. "Please hear me out before you say anything. I wouldn't be asking unless I knew the risks, believe me. I really think that he's ready for this, he's so determined to prove himself, and he's only had a handful of mishaps. You have to admit; he's done better than both Esme and Edward did. He and I only want to go out for a few hours…_alone_." Rosalie made sure to put extra emphasis on that word so there was no chance of Edward coming at all.

"I don't know, Rosalie. He hasn't been a vampire for that long, and he hasn't been around humans too much."

"Tonight it's supposed to be rainy, how many people would be out? I'll keep an extra careful eye on him, and as soon as I even think that something's going to happen, we'll come back. We'll even go hunting beforehand so neither of us will be thirsty." Letting out a sigh, Carlisle thought long and hard about her request. Everything she said made it sound like a reasonable request.

"Alright, you can go, but only for a little while, and if you even sense that something may be wrong, I want you to come straight home. I want you to know that I'm not entirely too comfortable with this, Rosalie." Rosalie couldn't care less about what else Carlisle had to say. She and Emmett were going out for a few hours…alone. She felt like a young school girl who just got permission from her father to go out on a date with her school crush.

"Thank you!" she cried over her shoulder as she rushed out of the room. Tonight was going to perfect, no matter what.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Rosalie spent close to three hours in front of the mirror. She usually spent a good chunk of time in front of the mirror making sure she looked absolutely perfect, but today was different. She carefully brushed out her platinum hair for nearly an hour until it shined. She then applied the perfect amount of makeup before setting to work finding the perfect outfit for tonight. She couldn't figure out why in the world she was putting so much effort into tonight, it was just Emmett after all, but she was.

Meanwhile, Emmett was an absolute mess. He really liked Rosalie, but he had no clue if he should do something about it. This was something that was a little bit too awkward to talk to Carlisle about, so he decided to talk to Edward. Edward wasn't in the best mood at the moment, he was mad that they were going out without him, claiming that it was unsafe. Even so, Emmett needed to talk to someone, and he was his best bet.

Before Emmett even had a chance to knock on Edward's bedroom door, his voice said, "Come in." Emmett let out a sigh. He didn't know if he'd ever get used to this whole mindreading business.

"Edward, can I talk to you?" Edward closed the book he was reading and spun around in his chair. He was seated at his desk, and by the looks of things he was trying to see how many books he could read in one day…again. "I think I love Rosalie," Emmett finally blurted out even though he knew that Edward already knew that.

"Rosalie?" Edward did his best to conceal his disgust. In his mind, who in the world could ever love such a conceited person?

"Yes. She and I are going into town tonight, and I want to do something special for her, but I don't know what." Emmett took a seat on the edge of Edward's bed across from him.

"Buy her something nice," he suggested.

"Like what?" Edward shrugged, which wasn't much of an answer.

"There's no telling what Rose will like, but she'll be sure to let you know when she sees something she likes. Just buy it for her, and she'll think you're great." Emmett nodded, that seemed simple enough. He got to his feet to leave, but Edward stopped him. "Just don't push anything on her, in terms of holding hands or kissing or anything of that nature. She's _very_ withdrawn about things like that, so I would take it slow and let her make a move." Edward couldn't believe that he was actually giving romance advice, he was definitely the last person in the world Emmett should have come to, but he was going to do his best. He wasn't going to tell him why he should take things slow with Rosalie, that was her business to tell, not his. Emmett nodded.

"Take it slow. Got it. Thanks!" he bellowed as he waved over his shoulder and bound out of the room to go get ready. He was partway down the hall when he realized that he didn't have any money. When he turned around to go back to Edward, he was already standing in the doorway with a wad of money. "Do people ever get used to you reading their minds all the time?" he asked as he took the money. Edward gave him a crooked smile.

"Eventually." With that said, he disappeared back into the safety of his room…and his books. Emmett pocketed the money and was on his way.

Rosalie was just about ready to change into her outfit when there was a knock on her bedroom door. Mentally, she prayed that it wasn't Emmett; she wasn't ready to go yet. When she opened the door, however, she found Esme standing there.

"Oh! I thought that you were Emmett," Rosalie explained as she let the other woman in. Esme laughed.

"Sorry to disappoint you. Carlisle told me that you and Emmett were going into town tonight, and I wanted to come and see if you needed any help," she said as she perched herself on the window seat along the far wall.

"I'm just about ready to leave," Rosalie replied as she securely closed her door once again. "For some reason I'm nervous. I'm just going into town for the evening. I feel like I've done it so many times before with you."

"Yes, but going with me is different than going with the young man you have feelings for." Rosalie's head shot up. "Don't pretend to be surprised, Rosalie, everyone here knows that you and Emmett have feelings for each other. When you're around him, that attitude of yours disappears, and you act like a young school girl in love. That's why I came here to talk to you." Rosalie unbuttoned her blouse and began to get changed. "You and I, Rose, have a lot more in common than you tend to realize. Both of us came from less than ideal situations with men before our transformations. Trust Emmett, I know it's hard, believe me, I know how hard that can be, but you have to do it. He's not Royce, and that is probably the hardest thing for you to realize. That part of your life is gone, and from the looks of things, you've finally found someone who deeply cares about you."

Rosalie kept her face completely emotionless as she listened to what Esme had to say. A part of her had forgotten about her mother's terrible story, and she knew that she was right about what she had to say.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she finally said in a stressed voice as she sat on her bed to get her shoes on. Once she was ready, she took one finally look at herself in her vanity mirror.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Esme assured as she got to her feet as well. "Don't you stress out about tonight, you're young, and have fun." Rosalie nodded. She then grabbed her purse and headed downstairs to where she presumed Emmett was waiting for her.

The run into town was fairly uneventful. Rosalie struggled to keep up with Emmett, but she knew that that was because he was technically still a newborn. She knew that she was taking such a risk taking him out tonight, but she had faith in him.

They came to a stop on the outskirts of town where no one would notice that they basically appeared out of nowhere.

"Shall we?" Emmett asked with a sparkle in his eyes as he offered Rosalie his arm. Smiling slightly, she took his arm, and they headed into town. "Thank you for talking to Carlisle about this. I think I was on the verge of going crazy if I had to stay in that house for one more day."

"You're welcome. I don't mind coming out here. We used to come, the four of us, every once in a while, but that wasn't very often. Edward doesn't like being around so many people and Carlisle has to work a lot. Esme and I enjoy coming here to shop though."

Arm in arm, the two walked down the street. Emmett held his breath the entire time so he wouldn't even get a whiff of human blood and ruin such a seemingly perfect evening. Every once in a while, Rosalie would put a supporting hand on his arm, letting him know what she knew exactly what he was going through. They stopped outside of a dress shop, and Rosalie fell in love with one of the dresses in the window.

"Oh! Look at that." It was a crimson red satin floor-length dress with cap sleeves, a diamond brooch and a belt of sorts going around the ribs just under the breasts. In the back, an 'x' was formed with a train of sorts hanging down.

"Why don't you try it on," Emmett suggested, keeping Edward's comment in mind. That was all Rosalie needed to hear, she pulled him inside and hunted down a sales attendant.

"I would like to try on the red satin dress in the window," she blurted out.

"If you'll follow me please." Without thinking, Rosalie handed off her purse to Emmett and followed the sales attendant. Emmett trailed uselessly behind the two of them. He then took a seat outside the changing room and waited for her to reappear.

Rosalie slid on the red dress. It hugged her curves and accentuated her body perfectly. With a satisfied smile, she literally floated out to where Emmett was waiting.

"How do I look?" she asked with a knowing glitter in her eyes. She spun around, allowing her hair to fan out around her.

"You look beautiful," Emmett replied.

"You have a beautiful wife," the sales attendant said.

"Oh, well, uhh, umm," Emmett stammered. He was glad that he couldn't blush, because he was sure he'd be bright red at that moment. Rosalie just smirked.

"I'm going to get this," she told him before disappearing back into the changing room to put on her regular clothes once again. She had no idea where she would wear the dress, but she knew that she had to have it.

When Rosalie reappeared in her street clothes, Emmett was already standing at the counter paying for her dress. While she was pleased with the attention he was giving her, she was still caught off guard. She couldn't figure out where in the world he got the money from.

"Thank you," she whispered as she slid her arm through his and silently took back her purse. Once the dress was paid for, Emmett took it and carefully draped it over his arm so it wouldn't wrinkle.

"You know, now that you have this evening gown, we now have to find somewhere for you to wear it to," he told her as they once again began to walk down the street.

"Perhaps a show," Rosalie suggested. They both scowled at the thought. "I'm sure the opportunity will arise." Emmett couldn't figure out why in the world Edward thought Rosalie was so self-centered, she seemed sweet enough around him.

"I'm sure it will," he agreed. They came to a stop at an elegantly lit up gazebo in the center of town. "Shall we?" Rosalie couldn't help but smile as they mounted the steps and took a seat inside the deserted structure.

Emmett carefully put down the dress before casually draping an arm along the railing behind Rosalie. For some reason, she was completely comfortable with this.

"Maybe, if things work out well, we'll be moving on in about a year, and you'll be able to start school with me and Edward," she told him.

"School?" He made a face.

"We have to go to school. It's not as bad as…before. The work is easy because of our memory, and what takes a human an hour only takes us a few minutes," she explained softly so no one around them would hear. "Besides, you get to be out of the house all day." That was the part that really got Emmett.

"Alright, if my angel's going to be there, I'm sure it will be fine." Rosalie chewed on her full bottom lip nervously.

"Why do you call me an angel? If anything, I'm more like a monster," she asked shamefully.

"How can anyone as beautiful and wonderful as you be a monster? You saved my life, Rosalie, and for that I'm eternally grateful." In a daring move, Emmett reached up and gentle cupped her face in his giant hand. Part of Rosalie wanted to turn away, but the more dominant part of her told her to stay right where she was.

"Emmett, I have to be honest with you. I brought you back for Carlisle to change because something deep down inside of me told me that I had to save you. I knew that there was something special about you." Rosalie absolutely hated feeling this vulnerable, but it was almost as if Emmett had some sort of spell over her that made her feel this way.

Emmett decided that it was now or never, the gap between them closed as their lips met in a soft kiss. Rosalie froze for a split second before returning the affection. Her slender hand slid to rest on the back of his neck. After what felt like an eternity, they both pulled back at the same time.

"I'm sorry," Emmett whispered. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Emmett, I wanted you to kiss me, that's why I kissed you back and didn't push you away. Don't feel bad." Letting out a sigh, he got to his feet and helped Rosalie up. Just for good measure, she pecked him on the cheek. "This is what I want," she whispered in his ear before they set out on their way once again. This time, however, they walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

**A/N:** a link to Rosalie's dress can be found on my page.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

It was a typical evening in the Cullen household. Emmett and Edward were literally glued to the radio listening to a baseball game while Rosalie sat on the floor leaning against Emmett's leg. Carlisle and Esme were out hunting and would be back in an hour or so. Emmett mindlessly winded her platinum hair around his fingers.

"Edward, I bet you $100 that the Yankees win," Emmett said. A mischievous smile spread across Edward's face.

"You're on!" They leaned towards each other and shook hands. Rosalie rolled her eyes and turned back to her homework. She was doing her best to make this work take as long as humanly possible since there was nothing else for her to do at the moment. Emmett and Edward settled down in their respective seats and listened intently to the game, each hoping that they would win the coveted $100.

Listening to baseball was so boring to Rosalie. She was interested in playing the game, but there weren't enough of them as a family to make a team. Sometimes they would play with Tanya and her family, but those games were few and far between. Rosalie closed her eyes and zoned out. It was the closest thing to sleeping that vampires could do. She felt Emmett continue to play with her hair tenderly as he listened to the game. She couldn't wait for the stupid game to be over so he would be able to pay attention to her.

Edward could tell how bored Rosalie was, even without being able to read her mind. He wished she would get a clue and realize that the universe didn't revolve around her. It didn't help that Emmett was happy to give her the world on a silver platter and do whatever she asked at the drop of a hat. They were the perfect couple; Edward knew that no other person would be able to tolerate Rosalie like Emmett could. He spoiled her rotten, and she only asked for more.

An hour later, Emmett was $100 richer, and he and Rosalie were heading up to his room in the attic for some time alone. Esme absolutely went to town fixing up the room for him, and now he was grateful because it gave him a space for him and Rosalie to be alone. He sat down on the couch and pulled her into his arms.

"How in the world can you listen to something as boring as baseball on the radio?" she demanded with a slight edge to her voice.

"It's fun!" Emmett playfully reasoned. "Besides, now I have $100 for next time we go out." Suddenly she didn't care about him listening to the game. "I'm sorry, my angel, I really am." He pecked her on the cheek softly. "How can I make it up to you?" Rosalie turned around and pressed her lips firmly against his in a passionate kiss. Emmett's arms easily circled her slender waist, drawing her close. Very carefully, he laid her down on the couch so she was pinned beneath him and slid one hand under the hem of her blouse.

"Stop!" Rosalie screamed as she pushed Emmett away with all of her might. Confused, he jumped off the couch. Shaking, she sat up and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Rosie, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Wordlessly, she got to her feet and stalked out of the room. She didn't want him to see how upset she was. Instead, she made a beeline for her bedroom, locking the door securely behind her.

Confused, Emmett followed Rosalie downstairs and tried to open her door. He wasn't going to rip it off the hinges, but he certainly was tempted. He knew that he did something wrong, but he couldn't quite figure out what. He'd _never_ seen her so worked up before, and it worried him.

"What happened?" Edward demanded as he appeared behind him. Emmett spun around and looked helplessly at him.

"I don't know. We were upstairs…and she got upset and left," he explained. He didn't want to say what exactly they had been doing, but he knew that Edward already knew. Edward sighed. He should have expected this sooner than later.

"Rose? Can I come in?" Edward called through the door.

"Go away, Edward!" Rosalie screamed.

"Please, Rosalie," Emmett pleaded.

"GO AWAY!" Her tone was final, and neither one dared to get her even more upset at the moment. Perhaps Esme would be able to talk to her.

It was late by the time Carlisle and Esme got home. Emmett and Edward were sitting uselessly in the living room, watching the minutes tick by. Both looked up at the sound of the door opening and closing. Hand in hand, Esme and Carlisle entered the room.

"What happened?" he immediately asked as soon as he saw how upset both Edward and Emmett were.

"Rosalie's locked herself in her room," Emmett replied. Esme gave Carlisle's hand a squeeze before rushing upstairs to see if she could talk her way into Rosalie's room. Meanwhile, Carlisle sat on the couch next to Emmett.

"Son, it's not your fault," he said as he put a reassuring hand on the younger vampire's broad shoulder. "Rosalie can be very sensitive at times, but you can't blame yourself." Emmett nodded, but he couldn't help but blame himself.

Esme gently knocked on Rosalie's bedroom door. Her heart went out to the young vampire; she had so much going on all the time it seemed like.

"Go away!" Rosalie screamed, clearly frustrated with everyone's concern for her.

"Rose, honey, it's me," Esme gently said. "Please let me in. I want to talk to you. Please sweetie." She heard some movement inside, and the door opened.

"What?" Rosalie demanded.

"Can I come in?" Sighing, she stood to the side, allowing Esme in. Rosalie resumed her previous position on the window seat with her knees drawn to her chest and chin resting on her knees.

"What do you want?" she demanded as she gazed out the window, avoiding all eye contact.

"I want to know why you locked yourself in your room. Emmett's really worried about you." Rosalie continued to look away. "Please tell me what happened." Esme went over and gentle rubbed her back to try and calm her down and hopefully open up.

"We were up in Emmett's room, and we were kissing." She felt slightly embarrassed to be talking so openly about this to Esme, but she didn't have much of a choice at the moment. "And, umm, he pinned me down to the couch. I tried to think about what you told me about being open to everything, but all I could think about was Royce. I know Emmett is different, but I couldn't help it, and I shoved him off of me and left."  
"Oh, sweetheart," Esme cooed as she gathered Rosalie up into her arms and stroked her hair tenderly. "It's alright; Emmett's not going to hurt you. He's just a big teddy bear, and you know that. He wouldn't think of laying a finger on you."

"I know that, I knew that, but I just couldn't help it."

"I know exactly how you feel. I had the same problem with Carlisle, I kept thinking about Charles in the back of my mind. We were cursed in our human lives, but now we've been blessed with wonderful men. It's alright to want to draw the line somewhere, but you also need to have an open and honest relationship with Emmett. He really cares about you; I can see it whenever he looks like you. You need to tell him about Royce." Rosalie's head whipped around to look at Esme.

"No!" she cried. "No! He can never know! He'll treat me differently; he'll think I'm damaged. He can't know about that!" She was near hysterics, and Esme did her best to keep her calm.

"Alright, that's fine. You don't have to tell him right now, but it would probably be best if you did at some point so he doesn't worry." All of a sudden, Rosalie got a hold of herself. She brushed her hair out of her face and almost instantly composed herself. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I am," she insisted.

"Are you going to come back downstairs?" Rosalie scoffed at the concept.

"No, I think I'm going to stay up here and relax." Esme gave her one last hug and a reassuring kiss on the top of her head.

"That's fine. I'm always here if you need me." Rosalie nodded. Deep down inside, she was grateful for her makeshift mother's interest in her. Esme was born to nurture, and she, Edward and Emmett gave her the perfect opportunity.

Emmett looked up when Esme entered the room. He was afraid that something was wrong with Rosalie still.

"She's fine," she assured as she perched herself on the available chair. "Just a little upset but fine. "I'd let her calm down and go try to talk to her in the morning." Emmett let out a frustrated sigh. He wanted to know what was wrong with Rosalie _now_, not tomorrow!

The following morning, Rosalie emerged from her room as if nothing had happened the night before. She sauntered downstairs, looking absolutely stunning as always. Wordlessly, she slid her arms around Emmett's waist and pressed her lips against his in a loving kiss.

"Good morning," he whispered, slightly confused about the sudden mood swing.

"Good morning," she echoed as she rested her cheek against his chest.

"Are you feeling better?" he nervously asked, afraid of another explosion like the night before.

"Of course I am," she replied with a dazzling smile that didn't reach her eyes. He rubbed her back and held her close.

"I was so worried about you," he confessed as he laid his cheek against the top of her head. She was the perfect height to tuck her head just under his chin comfortably. One of her hands drifted down to grab his, lacing their fingers together. His hand felt gigantic compared to hers. His hand drifted down to rest on her hip, and she didn't resist. Esme was right; there was nothing to fear about Emmett at all, he cared about her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Rosalie and Emmett spent the majority of their time alone in his room. It was the only place where they didn't have to worry about being interrupted since there was virtually no reason for any of the Cullens to go up to that part of the house on a routine basis. It was the perfect escape for them, especially from Edward reading their minds and making faces at whatever they were thinking.

Emmett sat on the couch in his room with Rosalie sitting sideways next to her. His arms easily slid around her waist, drawing her close.

"You're beautiful," he whispered in her ear. She gave him a knowing smile and leaned back so she could look him in the eye. She'd never get tired of hearing him say that to her. "I love you," he blurted out without thinking. Rosalie sat up and looked Emmett in the eye to see if he was just fooling around with her. The look in his eyes told him that he wasn't lying.

"You love me?" she repeated, making sure she heard him correctly.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I know you want to take things slow, but I really do love you. You're amazing and beautiful-"

"So you just love me for my looks?" Rosalie demanded, clearly disgusted.

"No, no, of course not!" Emmett quickly defended, trying to regain himself. "I love you because how wonderful you are, but you are beautiful as well. You're my angel, and I love you." Rosalie shook her head. She knew that she was overreacting, but she couldn't help it; it was just her personality.

"I love you too," she whispered before pressing her lips against Emmett's. She then curled up next to him and slid her arm around his waist. Her eyes slipped closed as she fell into a lulling sense of comfort.

School felt like torture to Rosalie. She felt terrible that Emmett was stuck at home all day long with Esme while she and Edward sat through class. Sure they didn't enjoy the social aspect of high school like everybody else around them, but at least they got out of the house and had a break. At the end of the school day, Rosalie came to her locker only to find Edward leaning casually against the locker next to hers waiting for her.

"You haven't told Emmett about Royce," he observed rather bluntly. She chose to ignore his comment and opened her locker to retrieve her books for the evening.

"There's nothing to tell," she snapped as she slid her books into her bag and slammed her locker closed.

"Oh, of course, there's no need to tell your current boyfriend about your old fiancé who raped you and left you for dead," Edward whispered harshly so only she could hear as she stalked outside. Rosalie stopped dead in her tracks and spun around.

"You are the most insufferable pig in the entire universe," she hissed as she glared daggers at him. "Emmett doesn't need to know about Royce, not right away at least."

"Why not?" Rosalie chewed nervously on her bottom lip for a few seconds.

"Because right now everything is perfect between us. We love each other, and I don't want to jeopardize that with meaningless information."

"You call this meaningless information? Imagine if Esme hadn't told Carlisle about Charles."

"That's different," Rosalie snapped.

"How so?" All she wanted to do was get as far away from Edward as possible at that moment, but she knew that he wouldn't let her go.

"I don't know, it just is. Now, if you don't mind, I'm leaving. I have someone waiting for me at home. Just because you're pathetic and alone, that doesn't mean you have to take it out on me." She knew that she had hit below the belt but honestly didn't care. Whatever it took to get her away from Edward, Rosalie was going to do.

At home, Rosalie burst into the door and dumped her bags on the chair next to the door. She was so mad that she was on the verge of physically shaking.

"What happened?" Emmett asked as he came out of the kitchen. Right away, he could tell that something was definitely off.

"Edward is just being his usual know-it-all self," she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. She wasn't going to bring up what Edward had been talking about, that would make him right and her wrong. Emmett kissed her forehead softly.

"What if, after you do your homework, we go hunting?" he suggested. It looks like you could use a hunting trip, and I know I need to go." The front door opened, and in came Edward. Rosalie spun around and shot him a death stare. Emmett slid his arm around her waist and guided her into the living room where she could get started on her homework before they went hunting. Edward knew that he wasn't exactly welcome at the moment, so he went straight upstairs to his room for the afternoon.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Rosalie shuffled through drawers in the kitchen in search of a ruler when she felt a pair of arms slide around her waist and a pair of lips press against her neck.

"Emmett," she moaned. He pulled her flush against his strong chest. They had everything going for them at the moment. It had been nearly six months since Emmett had last tasted human blood, and they were madly in love.

"You look beautiful today," he whispered in her ear. Sure, she was just wearing a simple blouse and a pair of slacks, nothing overtly nice looking, but Rosalie liked hearing him say things like that to her. She spun around in his arms and slid her slender arms around his neck.

"Carlisle and Esme think that you'll be ready to go to school with me and Edward next year," she told him. Emmett scowled.

"School?" he repeated, clearly disgusted.

"You'll be with me all day, and you'll be out of the house more," she reasoned.

"Then I guess it'll be worth it if I'm with my angel all day long." Rosalie couldn't help but smile. She loved being called an angel, especially by Emmett. She pecked the corner of his mouth lightly.

"I love you," she whispered without pulling away. He captured her lips in a tender kiss, and she happily returned the affection. He rubbed her back, drawing his fingers up and down her spine. He fingered the hem of her blouse, which put Rosalie on guard, but she didn't stop him.

"Whoa!" Edward exclaimed as he entered the room. Rosalie and Emmett sprang apart. She shot daggers at Edward, obviously fuming that he had interrupted their intimate moment.

"Edward," she hissed. A deep growl began to form from deep in her throat.

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving!" he relented as he threw his hands up in the air and backed out of the room. Emmett couldn't help but laugh, causing her to shove his chest with all his might.

"You're not helping!" she growled.

"I'm sorry, darling." It was too little too late. Rosalie flipped her hair over her shoulder and stalked out of the room. Emmett sighed. Sometimes he had the feeling that these mood swings were going to be the death of him. It was her personality though, and it wasn't going to change.

Upstairs, Rosalie was in her closet, fingering the silky fabric of the dress Emmett bought her. Her pale skin made the red fabric look even brighter and more vivid. She longed to find a place to wear this dress, but she couldn't think of anywhere. The perfect opportunity would arise, and it wasn't like she had to worry about growing and the dress not fitting anymore. She let out a sigh. If only she had some friends who were getting married, this would be the perfect dress to wear to a wedding. Sadly, that wasn't going to happen. Rosalie sighed. Emmett spent his money on this dress for her, and she wanted to wear it out. It was a special dress, not something she could simply wear on a whim. The smooth fabric slipped easily through her fingers as Rosalie abandoned the dress and decided to do her homework so she could go hunting later.

There was a knock on Rosalie's partially opened door. She automatically knew that it wasn't Emmett, because he simply walked freely into her room whenever he felt like it.

"Come in," she sighed without looking up from her work. She was trying to make it last as long as possible, but that wasn't really working. Edward entered the room, closing the door behind him. "What do you want?" she snapped, deliberately not making eye contact to show him just how frustrated she was with him.

"Come on, Rose, you can't be mad at me for interrupting your little rendezvous earlier," he commented with a smug smile as he leaned against her desk with his arms crossed over his chest.

"No, I'm mad at you because you keep insisting on putting yourself in my personal life. You need to learn to leave me alone!" Out of frustration, she snapped her pencil in half as if it had been a toothpick.

"Fine, do what you want," Edward said with a shrug as he walked out of the room. Rosalie retrieved a pen from the depths of her desk and went right back to work as if nothing had happened. Edward needed to learn to stay out of her life!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

Rosalie tapped her pencil on the dining room table. She doodled mindlessly on the blank piece of paper in front of her while listening to Edward plunk out a new song. Esme had asked him to write a song for her, and he was determined to make it perfect. Emmett slid into the chair next to her.

"What are you up to?" he asked as he lovingly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Just doodling," Rosalie replied. She put her pencil down and slid her hand into his. He squeezed it gently before bringing it to his lips and kissing it softly.

"Christmas is coming up," Emmett pointed out rather bluntly.

"So it is." Rosalie didn't even know why they celebrated Christmas, it was a human tradition, but Esme greatly enjoyed decorating the house, and she and Carlisle clung to any human tradition they could.

"Do you do anything special around here to celebrate?" Rosalie shrugged and went back to her doodling.

"Carlisle and Esme like to celebrate, but I don't understand why. I try to do it for them." Edward snorted, but she ignored him. "Let's go upstairs," she said as she took Emmett's hand and pulled him to his feet. There were absolutely no objections on his part as he allowed himself to be pulled upstairs to the privacy of his bedroom.

Upstairs, Rosalie pressed her lips against Emmett's in a firm, yet loving kiss. His arms circled her waist, pulling her close. He slid one hand just under the hem of her blouse, causing her to immediately pull away.

"What?" he asked innocently. Rosalie fixed her hair.

"I'm sorry, Em, I'm just not ready for that. Please try to understand," she pleaded as she stroked his cheek lovingly with the back of her hand to show that she wasn't overly upset with him. She wished that he would just get the message and stop trying to push their relationship, but he wasn't.

"I understand, I'm sorry, I should have known better." He kissed her forehead softly. He could see something in her eyes and knew that she was keeping something from him, something important. "Are you alright?"

"Never better," Rosalie replied a little too quickly for his liking, but he didn't comment on it. He wasn't going to cause a scene at the moment. "I love you." Rosalie was desperate to shift the conversation to something….anything else.

"I love you too." That was the end of that conversation, hopefully for a very long time to come.

Edward was fed up with this little game that Rosalie was playing with Emmett. She needed to tell him about Royce now, before he told her his big news on Christmas; it was only fair. He knew that that wasn't going to happen though, she was determined to bury her past and completely forget about it, but Edward knew that that would completely blow up in her face sooner rather than later.

Carlisle pulled his car into the garage. He got out of the car and made a stop at the mailbox. He flipped through the collection of envelopes as he walked up to the front door. He was surprised to see a letter from Denali. Inside, he dropped the rest of the envelopes in their designated spot on the side table next to the front door and opened the letter.

"Hello, darling," Esme said with a smile as she literally glided down the steps and into Carlisle's arms. He kissed the top of her head lovingly. "How was your day?"

"Busy," he replied. "There was a building fire today, and our hospital had to take care of the injured." He reluctantly let go of her and momentarily turned his attention back to the letter from Carmen.

"Who's that from?"

"It appears to be from our friends in Denali," Carlisle replied. Esme couldn't help but smile. They hadn't heard from their friends in a while. They hadn't gone to see them over the summer as planned, and the last time they were in Alaska was when Rosalie joined their family.

Carlisle carefully opened the envelope and produced a single piece of paper carefully folded up inside of it. He read it quickly before returning it to its envelope.

"It appears as if they want to come for a visit for New Year's," he told Esme.

"Why not Christmas?" she asked.

"Carmen said that they want to give us a Christmas together with Emmett," he explained. "What do you think?"

"I think we're going to have some guests for New Years," Esme replied.

"Oh! Who?" Rosalie asked as she came into the foyer from the kitchen. Surprisingly, Emmett was not by her side.

"Kate, Irina, Carmen, Tanya and Eleazar," Carlisle replied. A wicked smile spread across Rosalie's face, and they knew that she was plotting something.

"Wonderful, Edward will be thrilled," she said before turning on her heels and sauntering down the hall in search of Edward to torture him. Esme and Carlisle exchanged slightly worried looks. They knew that Edward and Rosalie wouldn't get into a physical altercation, but they knew that some sort of issue was bound to happen before the day was over.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Rosalie carefully brushed out her hair. It was Christmas morning, and she was in no hurry to return downstairs to all the "festivities." There was a light knock on her door.

"Come in," she sighed without missing a beat. Without looking in the mirror she skillfully swept her hair into a bun at the base of her neck just off to the side, as was the fashion.

"Rosalie," Edward said as he closed the door behind him.

"Whatever it is, Edward, I don't want to hear it," she snapped as she began to pin back lose strands of hair.

"You need to tell Emmett. I'm getting tired of begging you-"

"And I'm getting tired of ignoring you." Rosalie was now down, and she looked in the mirror to make sure she looked perfect. She fastened her family crest necklace around her slender neck. She spun around and glared angrily at Edward.

"It's only fair to him," he tried to reason. "Emmett has a right to know about Royce." Faster than he could have anticipated, Rosalie reached out and slapped him. The sound rang out in the empty room. He took a deep breath to keep himself calm.

"You stay the hell out of my life, Edward Cullen, or I will make the rest of your existence utterly miserable," she hissed before shoving past him and stalking down the stairs to where the rest of the family was gathering to open presents.

Rosalie sat on the floor next to Emmett's legs. He mindlessly began to play with her hair, twisting it around his fingers gently. Moments later, Edward joined everyone else, sitting as far away from Rosalie as possible without being antisocial towards the rest of the family.

"Alright, let's get started!" Emmett bellowed, obviously excited that it was Christmas. Rosalie rolled her eyes. Inside, however, she was excited about Christmas as well.

Most of the presents given for Christmas were clothes and jewelry for Esme and Rosalie. There was still one small box under the tree.

"Rose, this is from me and Esme," Carlisle said as he grabbed the box and handed it to her. Confused, she untied the red ribbon and lifted off the lid, revealing a lone car key.

"Oh my goodness," she breathed. At last, her very own car to tinker with! "Thank you." She got up and gave both Carlisle and Esme a hug. They were caught off guard by how appreciative she was. Overall, it had been a fairly good Christmas…for everyone.

Rosalie turned around a saw Emmett fishing nervously in his pocket. She gave him a confused look until he seemed to have what he wanted. He stood up and gently cupped her face in his free hand, pressing their lips together in a gentle kiss.

"I love you," he whispered. "And I have a question for you." Emmett sank down on one knee and held up diamond ring set in silver with swirling designs on each side. "Will you marry me?" Rosalie's hand flew to her mouth.

"Yes," she managed to breathe as she held out her hand, and he slid the ring onto it. They completely forgot about Carlisle, Esme and Edward as their lips met in a fiery kiss. After several seconds, Carlisle cleared his throat. They sprang apart.

"Congratulations!" Esme cooed as she rushed forward with her arms extended. She pulled them both close in a motherly hug. "I'm so happy for the both of you." When Rosalie pulled away, Carlisle immediately hugged her.

"You two are perfect for each other," he whispered in her ear so only she could hear. Edward, on the other hand, simply sat glued to his seat with a look of contempt mixed with jealousy on his face. He also couldn't figure out for the life of him why in the world anyone would _ever_ want to get married to Rosalie. That wasn't his problem though, and soon she'd be solely Emmett's problem. Even so, deep down inside, Edward was happy for them, but he was more jealous than anything else.

**A/N :** a link to Rosalie's ring can be found on my page.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11:**

Rosalie carefully brushed out her hair. It was Christmas morning, and she was in no hurry to return downstairs to all the "festivities." There was a light knock on her door.

"Come in," she sighed without missing a beat. Without looking in the mirror she skillfully swept her hair into a bun at the base of her neck just off to the side, as was the fashion.

"Rosalie," Edward said as he closed the door behind him.

"Whatever it is, Edward, I don't want to hear it," she snapped as she began to pin back lose strands of hair.

"You need to tell Emmett. I'm getting tired of begging you-"

"And I'm getting tired of ignoring you." Rosalie was now down, and she looked in the mirror to make sure she looked perfect. She fastened her family crest necklace around her slender neck. She spun around and glared angrily at Edward.

"It's only fair to him," he tried to reason. "Emmett has a right to know about Royce." Faster than he could have anticipated, Rosalie reached out and slapped him. The sound rang out in the empty room. He took a deep breath to keep himself calm.

"You stay the hell out of my life, Edward Cullen, or I will make the rest of your existence utterly miserable," she hissed before shoving past him and stalking down the stairs to where the rest of the family was gathering to open presents.

Rosalie sat on the floor next to Emmett's legs. He mindlessly began to play with her hair, twisting it around his fingers gently. Moments later, Edward joined everyone else, sitting as far away from Rosalie as possible without being antisocial towards the rest of the family.

"Alright, let's get started!" Emmett bellowed, obviously excited that it was Christmas. Rosalie rolled her eyes. Inside, however, she was excited about Christmas as well.

Most of the presents given for Christmas were clothes and jewelry for Esme and Rosalie. There was still one small box under the tree.

"Rose, this is from me and Esme," Carlisle said as he grabbed the box and handed it to her. Confused, she untied the red ribbon and lifted off the lid, revealing a lone car key.

"Oh my goodness," she breathed. At last, her very own car to tinker with! "Thank you." She got up and gave both Carlisle and Esme a hug. They were caught off guard by how appreciative she was. Overall, it had been a fairly good Christmas…for everyone.

Rosalie turned around a saw Emmett fishing nervously in his pocket. She gave him a confused look until he seemed to have what he wanted. He stood up and gently cupped her face in his free hand, pressing their lips together in a gentle kiss.

"I love you," he whispered. "And I have a question for you." Emmett sank down on one knee and held up diamond ring set in silver with swirling designs on each side. "Will you marry me?" Rosalie's hand flew to her mouth.

"Yes," she managed to breathe as she held out her hand, and he slid the ring onto it. They completely forgot about Carlisle, Esme and Edward as their lips met in a fiery kiss. After several seconds, Carlisle cleared his throat. They sprang apart.

"Congratulations!" Esme cooed as she rushed forward with her arms extended. She pulled them both close in a motherly hug. "I'm so happy for the both of you." When Rosalie pulled away, Carlisle immediately hugged her.

"You two are perfect for each other," he whispered in her ear so only she could hear. Edward, on the other hand, simply sat glued to his seat with a look of contempt mixed with jealousy on his face. He also couldn't figure out for the life of him why in the world anyone would _ever_ want to get married to Rosalie. That wasn't his problem though, and soon she'd be solely Emmett's problem. Even so, deep down inside, Edward was happy for them, but he was more jealous than anything else.

**A/N :** a link to Rosalie's ring can be found on my page.

**Chapter 12:**

Rosalie was lounged across the loveseat in the living room elegantly and watched as both her skin and diamond ring caught the sunlight and shimmered. Emmett came into the room and sat down on the floor by her head. She leaned down and kissed his cheek softly before rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling and going back to what she had been doing. It felt odd to have a diamond ring on her finger yet again. Her last engagement ring she left with Royce's body so everyone would know who had killed him.

"You've been quiet the past few days, are you alright?" Emmett asked as he stood up. He braced one arm against the back of the couch and the other next to Rosalie's hip so he was hovering over her.

"Never better," she replied with an obviously fake smile. There was a knock on the door. "Oh! They're here!" she exclaimed as she pushed Emmett away and scrambled to her feet. Esme beat her to the door. Rosalie carefully composed herself, smoothing down her hair and whatnot. Emmett hung back in the living room. Besides the rest of the Cullens, he'd never before encountered any of their kind; he was slightly nervous about it.

"Esme!" Carmen announced as she rushed through the doorway and enveloped Esme in a giant hug.

"Carmen, it's been too long," Esme said. Hugs and greetings were passed around. Even Edward appeared from the safety of his room for a few minutes to greet their friends.

"Let me see this ring," Irina boldly urged. Smiling, Rosalie held out her hand. All of the women cooed over the ring while Eleazar stood awkwardly off to the side.

"Carlisle will be home from work any minute," Esme assured with a sympathetic smile.

"And this must be him!" Kate said. Emmett shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably.

"This is Emmett," Rosalie said as she rushed to his side and slid her arm through his and pressed her cheek against his bicep.

"Nice to meet you," he said politely as he extended his hand towards Kate. She shook it, smiling warmly.

"I'm Kate," she told him. "And these are my sisters, Carmen, Tanya and Irina, and Carmen's companion, Eleazar." Emmett nodded at each person, trying to remember their names and faces.

"It's nice to meet all of you." He felt incredibly awkward meeting these friends of the family, but that's just how he felt whenever he met anyone new.

Carlisle got home from work half an hour after the Denali coven arrived. Edward had retreated back up to his room and away from the uncomfortable and obvious advances of Kate, Tanya and Irina.

"Carmen, my dear friend," Carlisle said as he hugged Carmen tightly before moving on to her sisters and finally Eleazar. "It's been too long." He sat down on the couch next to Esme and kissed her cheek lovingly.

"It has," Eleazar agreed. "You should come up in the summer; it's absolutely beautiful when it isn't snowing." Emmett slid an arm around Rosalie's waist and pulled her close up against him from their seat on the floor. She leaned against him, but only enough to make him feel comfortable. She couldn't figure out why she all of a sudden felt so uncomfortable around Emmett, he was her fiancé!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Rosalie sat in the dark living room with her engagement ring in her hand. Had she been able to, she knew that she would be crying at the moment. Instead, she simply stared at the beautiful piece of jewelry. She was so deep in thought that she didn't even hear that she wasn't alone until Emmett sat down next to her.

"What's on your mind, my angel?" he asked her softly. Carlisle, Esme and Edward were out hunting, so they were completely alone.

"Nothing," she replied quickly as she turned around to face him. He traced her face lovingly with his thumb and refused to accept her answer.

"You know you can tell me anything. I love you, and I want to be here for you no matter what." Wordlessly, Rosalie pressed her ring into his hand, got to her feet and retreated to her room without looking back. Emmett was too stunned to react or stop her from leaving. Why in the world would she break up with him now?

Several hours later, when Esme, Carlisle and Edward returned from hunting, Emmett was still in the same position on the couch with his head in his hands and the ring clasped firmly in his fist.

"I'll go talk to her," Edward said as he slipped upstairs. As much as he fought with Rosalie, he still cared about her way deep down inside.

"What happened?" Esme asked as she sat down on the couch next to Emmett and put a comforting hand on his back.

"I don't know. All Rosalie did was hand me this and walk away," he replied as he held up the ring. "I tried to get her to talk to me, but she wouldn't."

"Rosalie has more skeletons in her closet than she likes to admit," Carlisle explained as he took a seat in his chair across from the couch. "Edward has been working hard to get her to talk to her, but she won't do what people tell her." Emmett nodded; he knew that much on his own.

"But I don't understand why she won't talk to me," he admitted, obviously upset by the entire ordeal.

"That's something I can't tell you. She'll come around, and it will all work out in the end," Carlisle assured. He did his best to put a smile on his face so Emmett wouldn't get too upset.

Edward didn't even bother knocking on Rosalie's door. He knew that she wasn't going to let him in voluntarily. He was surprised to find that her bedroom door was unlocked.

"What do you want?" Rosalie snapped. She was curled up in bed with her back to the door in the dark.

"Rosalie, why did you do it?" Edward asked as he sat on the edge of the bed. He didn't touch her, he was afraid that she would rip his arm off if he did.

"I don't have to explain myself to you. I'm not ready to get married."

"You mean you're not ready to tell Emmett about Royce." She rolled over and sat up. Edward simply got to his feet. "Fine, I'll tell him myself," he told her with a shrug. Without another word, he turned his back and began to head downstairs. Rosalie scrambled to her feet as well.

"Edward!" she called, her voice wavering slightly. "Edward! Don't you dare, Edward Cullen!" She ran as fast as she could down the stairs, but Edward was already downstairs and talking to Emmett.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

"I can't believe you, Edward Cullen!" Rosalie bellowed as she lunged at Edward. "That's a low blow, even for you." In a flash, Carlisle was on his feet and held her back. He wrapped his arms around her arms and waist in a vice grip. "Let me go! I'm going to kill him!" she screamed as she struggled to fight against Carlisle.

"All I did was tell Emmett that I couldn't figure out what's wrong with you," Edward said with a smug look on his face. "Obviously you have more problems than we originally thought if you're reacting like this." With that said, Edward headed into the kitchen and away from the explosion that was coming from Rosalie.

"You bastard!" Rosalie spat as she worked even harder to get free from Carlisle.

"Rosalie, please," Esme pleaded as she held her hands up to try and calm her down. "There's no need to use that sort of language. I'm sorry Edward didn't mean to do whatever it is that's got you so upset." Rosalie finally managed to wretch herself free from Carlisle and fixed her hair while doing her best to compose herself.

"One of these days, I really will kill him," she said darkly as she smoothed down her hair. Her gaze caught Emmett's. She saw the pain in his eyes and knew that she was the cause of it. "Can we talk?" she asked him softly.

"Esme," Carlisle whispered as he took Esme's hand in his and lead her upstairs to their bedroom to give the young couple their space.

Rosalie didn't know where to start. She began to pace nervously back and forth as Emmett sat rooted to his seat on the couch, afraid to disturb her.

"I was born in 1915," she finally started as she went to grab a scrapbook from one of the bookshelves lining the wall with the fireplace. She flipped through it until she found what she was looking for. "My dad was a banker, so the Great Depression didn't have any effect on us." She took a seat next to Emmett and held out the scrapbook. Inside, was a picture of her and Royce, announcing their engagement. She had no idea how in the world Esme got her hands on this article, or why they even bothered keeping it; it came from a part of her life she longed to forget. "I was incredibly beautiful, even as a human and my parents used that to their advantage. I was the favorite child, even above my two younger brothers. One day, I met Royce King II, his father owned the bank my father worked at, and they were one of the most powerful families around. After several months, we were engaged." Suddenly, Emmett realized why Rosalie had been so reluctant to accept his proposal. "Everything was going so fast, both of our families wanted it to be the wedding of the century. One day, I went to see my old friend, Vera. She seemed so happy. She had a husband who loved her more than anything else in the world and an adorable son. I knew that I wouldn't be able to have that if I married Royce, but I couldn't do anything to stop the wedding." Rosalie stopped and took a deep, shaking breath. "It was late when I left Vera's." Her voice was barely audible to Emmett, even with his vampire powers. "I knew I should have called my father and had him send the car, but I didn't think that it would matter. On my way home, I saw a group of drunken men standing under a broken streetlight. I suddenly wished that Royce was with me to protect me, until I realized that it was him standing there with his friends. He saw me and smiled. He pulled me over to his friends, and they began to talk about how beautiful I was." Rosalie's voice caught in her throat for a split second. "Then, Royce pulled off my jacket. The buttons fell onto the sidewalk. They beat me, and they raped me, and they left me in the alley to die. I would have died too, if Carlisle hadn't saved me. He had wanted me to be a companion for Edward, but I guess you know how that's turned out." She laughed bitterly before looking at her hands folded delicately in her lap. "I understand if you don't want to get married."

"Why in the world would I ever want that?" Emmett asked as he tilted her face up to look him in the eye.

"Didn't you hear anything I just said!? I'm damaged! My ex-fiancé raped me!"

"And he'll pay for that," Emmett urged. Rosalie shook her head.

"You're a little bit too late for that. You know, I can claim to have the same clean record as Carlisle. I only have the blood of seven men on my hands, five of them, including Royce, were there the night I was raped. The other two were guard protecting Royce, as if that could stop me. I didn't drink their blood though; I've never tasted the blood of a human. I tortured and killed all five without spilling a drop of blood." Emmett ran his fingers through Rosalie's soft hair and kissed her cheek softly.

"I don't care about any of that. I don't care if you tortured and killed a million people. I don't care about any of that. I love you so much, and I wish you had told me sooner." He looked at the photo in his lap. He traced Rosalie's smiling face gently with his finger. "You're so much more beautiful now," he whispered lovingly as he looked up at her. He leaned forward and pecked her lightly on the lips. "I have something for you," he whispered as he pulled away slightly. He then held out the engagement ring. "Rosalie Hale, will you still marry me, a poor mountain boy from Tennessee?"

Smiling, Rosalie replied, "Of course I will." He slid the ring on the appropriate finger and kissed her tenderly. He then pulled her close, afraid to let her go and lose her once again.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

Rosalie sat on the floor in the living room with bridal magazines spread all around her and a pad of paper and a pen in her lap. Emmett opened the front door, returning from a hunting trip with Edward.

"Oh no," Emmett said when he saw all the magazines. "This would be our cue to disappear." Edward shook his head.

"I told you that it would be smart to stay out a few more hours," he said smugly. Emmett shoved him playfully, and they pounded upstairs and away from the wreckage.

Esme floated into the living room and sat down lightly next to Rosalie. She picked up the closest magazine.

"Do you want help?" she asked. Rosalie shrugged.

"I don't think that it really matters. None of these dresses are the one I want," she snapped bitterly.

"From what I understand, you have a stunning dress upstairs in your closet."

"It's red." Rosalie threw the magazine across the room and snatched another one up and began to flip through it mindlessly.

"And?"

"Traditional wedding dresses are white, not red." She threw the magazine across the room bitterly and gave up for the time being.

"Rose, this isn't a traditional wedding," Esme gently pointed out. "Besides, I think red is an appropriate color for a vampire to wear at her wedding." Rosalie hissed. "And, you'll look absolutely stunning. White will just wash you out with your pale skin and light hair. Nobody will judge you anyway if you wear red. What's the harm in trying the dress on? Let's simply take a look and see." Sighing, Rosalie got to her feet. Esme followed in suit, and they went upstairs to her bedroom.

Upstairs, Rosalie stripped down to her underclothes while Esme got the dress out of her closet. Rosalie carefully took it and slid the silky fabric over her head. Careful not to rip the delicate fabric, Esme helped her get it on.

"Oh, Rose," she breathed as soon as she saw how she looked. "Look at yourself." Rosalie looked in the mirror. Sure she'd seen herself in the dress in the store, but now it had a completely new meaning. "Wait right here, I have something to show you." Esme squeezed her shoulder gently before disappearing down the hall.

While Esme was gone, Rosalie turned from side to side and carefully examined herself in the mirror. As much as she hated to admit it, Esme was right; this dress was perfect. Esme returned with a large, black velvet box in her hands.

"This was mine when I was human. It was a wedding gift from my parents, and I wore it when I married Carlisle, and I want you to wear it when you get married," she explained as she carefully took a necklace out. She stood behind Rosalie and fastened it around her neck. It was a chain of diamonds with smaller chains of diamonds of different lengths hanging from it, forming a triangle.

"It's beautiful," Rosalie whispered, carefully fingering the jewelry. "I think I'm going to wear this dress."

"I hoped you would say that," Esme told her as she gently smoothed out the fabric. "Well, that's one less thing you have to worry about for this wedding." Rosalie smiled at the thought. "What else do you need to get done?"

"I have to send out invitations, pick flowers…" She trailed off. "A reception would be worthless since no one coming can eat, so we don't have to worry about a cake either."

"You can still get a cake, just for decoration," Esme pointed out as she helped Rosalie get out of her dress.

"I never thought of that. I need to pick out a cake too. There's so much left to do!"

"Don't you worry; I'll be here to help you. There's no rush. Have you and Emmett picked a date yet?" she asked as she returned the dress to its garment bag and hung it up in the back of the closet.

"After I graduate in the spring," Rosalie replied as she buttoned up her blouse and smoothed down her hair carefully. "So we have about four and a half months."

"We'll get everything done, don't you worry," Esme assured. Rosalie removed the necklace, handed it back and put her usual Cullen crest necklace back on.

**A/N:** a link to Rosalie's necklace can be found on my page and the next chapter is the last


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

"I can't believe you!" Rosalie roared. Emmett held up his hands in self-defense, as if that could keep him safe from her wrath.

"We're just going hunting tonight, darling," he argued. "It's my last day as a bachelor. Most men have bachelor parties-"

"Exactly, _most_ men, not all of them," she interrupted.

"Rose, all I'm saying is me, Edward, Carlisle and Eleazar are going to go hunting tonight. Trust me, we'll be back with plenty of time before the wedding tomorrow. Carlisle will make sure of that." Emmett leaned over to peck her lightly on the cheek, but Rosalie walked away, leaving him standing there looking like an idiot. She didn't care if they went hunting tonight, what she was more upset about was the fact that no one told her.

"Fine, go, have fun. Try to make time for your wedding tomorrow," she snapped before going downstairs, upstairs, outside, anywhere away from Emmett at the moment.

With the men gone, Rosalie flitted nervously from one end of the house to the next making sure everything was ready for the wedding the following day.

"Rosalie, darling, calm down. Everything is ready for the wedding, and the men will be back in plenty of time. Carlisle gave me his word, and you know how responsible he is," Esme assured as she put a comforting hand on Rosalie's slender shoulder.

"I know that," Rosalie snapped, stalking to the other side of the room bitterly.

"Rose, I know men aren't exactly the most reliable people in the world, but this is something big," Irina pointed out. "Emmett will be back in plenty of time, and the wedding will be perfect." Rosalie ran her fingers through her hair nervously. Deep down inside she knew that Irina was right, but the one thing she was made about was the fact that Emmett went behind her back and planned this bachelor party.

That night, Emmett let lose….as much as a vampire can at least. He always went for the biggest kill he could find and acted like more of a goofball than usual. None of the guys were really complaining, they understood that he was trying to have some fun before getting married in a few short hours.

True to his word, Carlisle kept his eye on the time. He knew better than to get Rosalie mad at him, especially on her wedding day. Around seven in the morning did the men begin to head back to the house. Carlisle, Edward and Eleazar knew that they would have to help set up for the small wedding ceremony.

Back at the house, Rosalie was already supervising the set up process. Some of Carlisle's friends had already begun to arrive. Since Rosalie and Emmett weren't familiar with many vampires outside of the Cullen and Denali covens, they allowed Carlisle, Esme and Edward to invite their own vampire friends to the celebration. A coven was coming in from Ireland and another one was coming from Egypt for the celebration. Neither Rosalie nor Emmett knew the vampires coming, but they were excited to meet them.

An hour and a half before the ceremony, Carmen and Esme chased Rosalie upstairs to her room to get ready while Irina, Tanya and Kate took care of things downstairs while they waited for the men to return. A knock on the front door drew Esme's attention.

"I'll be right back," she told Carmen and Rosalie before disappearing out the door and downstairs. Rosalie fidgeted nervously in her seat.

"Rosie, darling, you need to calm down. In a few short hours you'll be married and you can put all of this behind you," Carmen said as she gently combed out her friend's soft, platinum locks. Will knowing skill, she began to twist up Rosalie's hair in detailed curls around a simple tiara that matched the necklace and dress. Rosalie twisted her ring around her finger. She wanted to be able to enjoy the fuss being made over her, but that wasn't going to happen until she knew that Emmett was back on time for the wedding.

Esme returned to Rosalie's bedroom several minutes later to find Carmen curling Rosalie's hair and trying to calm her down.

"Are they back yet?" Rosalie demanded. There was obvious fire in her eyes.

"They were just walking in the door when I came up here," Esme replied as she closed the door and went to retrieve the unconventional wedding dress out of the closet. Rosalie appeared to let out a breath of relief, and she physically relaxed. Carmen's fingers never faltered as she continued to curl her hair.

"I'm going to go get into my dress, try not do anything rash until I get back." Rosalie rolled her eyes as Esme left the room once again.

Meanwhile, Emmett was upstairs getting into his tuxedo. All the while, his hands wouldn't stop trembling. The second he gave up and decided to call for help, there was a polite knock on his door.

"Come in," he called. Edward opened the door and closed it behind him.

"Nervous?" he asked with a knowing look on his face.

"Of course I am. Could you help me with this?" Edward went over and helped Emmett button up his shirt.

"You know, you still have a chance to change your mind. You're going to be tied to Rosalie for the rest of your existence, which is a lot longer than a normal human marriage," he teased rather bluntly.

"I love her. I know that the two of you don't particularly get along, but I know for a fact that this is the right thing to do." Edward finished and handed Emmett his jacket.

"This is your last chance to change your mind. I could create a diversion of some sort while you sneak out the back window." There was a playful glitter in Edward's eyes showing that he was only joking. Smirking, Emmett took his jacket and carefully pulled it on. "Come on, you have to go get married."

Only once Carmen was completely satisfied with Rosalie's hair did she allow her to put on her dress. Her hair was pulled back behind her tiara in a mess of delicate curls; Carmen definitely outdid herself.

"Carmen, you can go dress in Edward's bedroom. He's already changed and is helping Emmett get ready," Esme told her. Nodding, Carmen grabbed her garment bag protecting her dress and retreated to Edward's bedroom. They didn't have much time until the wedding began.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

It was a surprisingly small ceremony since the only family representing both Emmett and Rosalie was Edward, Carlisle and Esme. Besides them and their friends from Denali, there was Amun, Kebi, Benjamin and Tia from Egypt and Maggie, Siobhan and Liam from Ireland. Deep down inside, Rosalie couldn't think help but think about what kind of wedding she would have had had she remained human and married Royce. It was disgusting to think about marrying someone like him, but she knew that it would have been at least a much bigger wedding. It wasn't anyone's fault though, all of the Cullens knew that no humans would be able to attend the wedding, not that they were close enough to any humans to invite them to the wedding.

Carlisle gave Rosalie away at the very beginning of the ceremony. It was a highly unconventional wedding beyond the fact that Rosalie was wearing her red dress. There wasn't any wedding party; any groomsmen, bridesmaids, ring bearer or flower girl. Had Rosalie and Emmett chosen to have a wedding party, there wouldn't have been anyone left to watch the actual ceremony. Rosalie longed for a traditional wedding in a large church with hundreds of people there and a large wedding party, but that wasn't going to happen it looked like. Even so, she knew that she was the center of attention and all eyes were on her, which was the important part in her mind.

The ceremony was short and sweet. The second the chaplain pronounced Emmett and Rosalie man and wife, he slid his strong arms around her slender waist and pressed his lips against hers firmly yet tenderly at the same time. She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him back with equal passion. Everyone sitting in the chairs in the living room clapped. The couple broke apart. Rosalie looped her arm through Emmett's, and they walked down the aisle together for the first time as a married couple.

Like the ceremony, the reception was small and intimate. The chaplain left, leaving the vampires, at last, free to act like themselves. Carlisle had no idea how his non-vegetarian friends didn't attack the poor man, but he didn't dare ask. Edward turned on a record, indicating it was time for Rosalie and Emmett's first dance as a married couple. Emmett spun her out onto the dance floor as if he was an expert. It was amazing how something as big and foreboding moved so gracefully and easily. Rosalie was all smiles, partially because she was so happy and partially because she knew that ever single vampire in the room was watching her at that moment.

Halfway through the song, Carlisle cut in, stealing Rosalie away to dance. Esme appeared at Emmett's side, and they took began to dance alongside their spouses.

"You look absolutely stunning," Carlisle told Rosalie as they spun elegantly around the room. The rest of the guests joined them on the small dance floor in the dining room. "And I know that you two will be happy together." He spun her gracefully. She smiled.

"Thank you, for everything," she whispered so only he would hear before returning to Emmett's side. Carlisle was slightly stunned by Rosalie's appreciation.

"What's the matter, my darling?" Esme asked as she slid her hand into his and squeezed it gently.

"Nothing, just a bit caught off guard. I think it's about time we gave them their present." As if on cue, Edward turned down the music. The dancing stopped almost immediately. All eyes were on Carlisle and Esme. "We have a gift for Rosalie and Emmett," Carlisle announced somewhat proudly. He reached into his pocket and produced a single key. "Rose, Emmett, this is from me and Esme. We know that you'll enjoy it." He handed the key over to Emmett who held it in his hand gingerly.

"Thank you," he told them before giving each of them a hug. Rosalie simply smiled with appreciation. Of all the presents they'd been given so far today, this was by far her favorite.

Save for the Denali clan, the rest of the vampire guests left the Cullen household around midnight. The second all the guests were gone, Rosalie and Emmett were off and running through the forest to their new house. It was about twenty miles away, completely secluded and alone from the rest of the world, which was exactly what they wanted.

The house came into view. It was a small, yet elegant cabin nestled neatly in a clearing. They came to a stop outside the door. Without warning, Emmett scooped Rosalie up in his strong arms and pressed his lips firmly against hers.

"I love you," he breathed against her lips.

"I love you too." Careful not to break the door, Emmett opened it and carried Rosalie inside. While the exterior of the house was built to his taste, the inside was utterly elegant with cherry wood furniture, thick rugs lining the halls and even a chandelier hanging from the two story foyer.

"Welcome home." Their lips met in a fiery kiss, and they didn't even make it to the bedroom before clothes began to came flying off with shocking speed.

At last, they were both completely happy. Rosalie had someone to adore her, and Emmett had someone to adore. They completed each other perfectly and were prepared to spend an eternity together showing the world just how much they loved each other.

The End

**The End**


End file.
